Roundabout



H. H. GRUBB July 7, 1931.

ROUNDABOUT Filed Jan. 26, 1 29 2 Sheets-Sheet l gnvemto'o 4.4 M dttozweq July 7, 1931. GRUBB 1,812,946

ROUNDABOUT Filed Jan. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 7, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT H. GRUBB, OF BARABOO, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T HUMANE STANCHION WORKS, OF BAR-ABOQ WISCONSEN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN ROUNDABOUT Application filed January 26,1929. Serial No. 335,209.

This invention relates to an amusement and exercising apparatus in the nature of a merrygo-round especially designed for use on play grounds or the like.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is of a simple, durable and rugged construction, which may be easily revolved or set in motion by children and which is entirely safe in that it reduces to the mini- I mum the liability of children or others usmg the apparatus being injured by any of the revolving parts.

"In carrying out the present invention, a fixed'support is provided and is usually in the form of a central post. On the upper end of the 0st a rotatable support is mount ed, prefera ly by means of a roller bearing assembly interposed between the post and the rotatable support and designed to take ends of the bars 11 on-the rotatable support.

. This means may ta e the form of a plurality of hanger bars connected at their upper ends to the rotatable support and extending down along the post in parallel relation thereto. At the lower ends of the bars connecting means is provided for securing seat supporting bars to the hanger bars of the suspending means. An antifriction thrust bearing is organized with this connecting means. Seats are carried by the outerends of the seat supporting bars and are preferably in the form of elongated platforms, each platform'having its ends connected to and supported upon the outer end of one of the seat supporting bars. The seat supporting bars are strengthened and braced as by means-ofbrace .bars fastened at their inner ends to the rotatable support and extending downwardly and outwardly to points adjacenttheouter ends of the seat supporting bars to'which they are secured. Just inwardlyand above the platforms or seats, guard rails are provided and are maintained in position by supporting brackets connected thereto and fixed upon the seat supporting bars or upon the connecting plates which secure the platforms to the seat supporting bars. This construction is not'only very rugged and durable but is entirely safe principally because all of the supporting elements are located within the confines of the seats and guard rails. Another advantage resides in the compactness of the construction. All of these features lend the apparatus to easy and pleasurable manipulation by children. Finally, the construct-ion is such that the apparatus may be manufactured at a comparatively slight expense from materials and by means of facility ordinarily available and it may be readily and easily installed.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, ar- 1 rangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica tion, and in which:

F lgure 1 1s a perspective view showing an apparatus embodying the present. invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation'and partly in diametrical vertical section showing the construction at the center of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 41- is a detail sectionalvicw taken on line 4- of F igure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 66 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating how the guide rails are connected to their supporting brackets, and

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken on line 88 of Figure 7.

' Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the central support which as shown is preferably in the form of a post havingits lower. end firmly embedded in the The ball bearing assembly .5 may be of any conventional construction designed to take .VGIlllQll load and radlal or transverse thrust and is assembled as a unit on the seat 4 of the sleeve 2.

or cap 6 is provided and has a downwardly extending flange 7 recessed or formed with seats adapted to engage the top and the outer periphery of the outer races of the bearing assembly 5. Beyond the flange 7, the cap 6 has an outwardly and downwardly directed peripheral flange 8 and at angularly spaced points is formed with webs 9 strengthening and reinforcing the flanges 7 and 8 and pro viding for the attachment of hanger bars 10 which are fastened thereto by bolts and nuts 11. Three sets or pairs of hanger bars 10 are provided and the members of each pair engage the opposite. sides of the web 9 with which they are associated and extend down along the post .1 in spaced parallel relation thereto( The lower ends of each pair of hanger bars '10 embrace webs 12 integrally formed with a flange13 formed at the upper end of a collar 13 which loosely encircles the post 1 and which constitutes a connecting means between the hanger bars 10 and radial seatfsupporting bars 14. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 and flange 13 and thebody of the collar 13 are connected by Webs 15 which provide sockets for receiving the seat supporting bars or elements 14, the latter being in the form of angle bars as clearly shown in the drawings. Bolts and nuts 16 equipped with the usual lock washers are employedfor fastening the inner ends ofthe seat 'supporting bars 14 to th-eflange 13 of the connecting collar 13. I I

' To prevent the radial or transverse thrust from shifting the collar 13 laterally and thereby causing it to engage or scrape against the post 1 a, thrust bearing designated gen: erally at 20 is provided and consists of an annular cage 21 of channel shape in cross sec tion] In the channel of the cage 21 roller bearings 22 are fitted, the roller bearings 22 engaging the inner surface of the channel and projecting inwardly beyond the flanges thereof so as to engage the post 1. A split resilient retaining ring 23 holds the roller bearings 22 against displacement during assembly or disassembly (see Figure The cage;21has anupwar dly directed annular flange24 spacedinwardly from its inner 'pe- I riphery' and designed to snugly overlap the provide a polygonal assembly. A rotatable support in the form of'a hood lower end of the collar .13. Bolts and nuts 25 extend between apertured ears 210; integral with the cage 21 and the flange 13' of the collar 13 and clamp these parts together with the flange 24 overlapping the lower end of the collar. .7 I

I The outer ends of the seat supporting bars 14 are fastened to connecting plates or pieces 30 which support seats 31 preferably in the form of elongated platforms or planks arranged in end to end relation around the periphery of the apparatus although they are slightly angled with respect to each other to To aid the bars 14 in firmly and'ri'gidly supporting the seats 31, brace bars 32 are provided and have their inner upper ends fastened'by bolts and nuts 33 to the flange 8 of the rotatable shaft. There is one such brace bar 32 and each seat supporting bar 14 and each braee bar32 lies in the same verticalplane as its seat supporting bar14. As shown in Figure 1 these brace bars 32 extend outwardly'and downwardly from the rotatable support 6 and terminate adjacentthe outer ends of the seat supporting bars 14to which they are secure'd by bolts and nuts 34 or other suitable fastening means. j

A guard rail 35 is provided for each seat 31'and is arranged above and inwardlyof its seat and parallel thereto. The guard rails 35 preferably are of tubular form and may be made of'pipe sections. The ends of each pair of adjacent, guard rails are supported on a supporting bracket 36 (compare Figures 1, 7 and 8) by means of fittingsv 37 secured by bolts and nuts 38 to the brackets36 and having ends 39 of the cross-section shown in Figure 8 snugly fitted in the adjacent ends of the tubular guard rails, The brackets 36 may be secured to the connecting pieces30 byv the same fastening means employed for connecting the bars 14'to these connecting way and the children who are running and pushing the merry-go-round may swing easily onto" the seat.f It is to benoted that there are no-projections beyond the seats liable to strike and injure the child. 'The entire supporting structure for supporting the seats is located within the confines thereof. The apparatus thus affords opportunity for healthful outdoor exercise as well as exhilarating pleasure. And with these advantages the device is extremely sturdy and strong and willstand up under the most severe usage. It will not 'rock nor wobble or bind but partakes of a true spinning motion about its central support.

What I claim is:

An apparatus of the character described comprising a central post, a combined radial and thrust bearing carried by the upper end of the post, a supporting cap having a recessed flange engaging the combined radial and thrust bearing and also having a peripheral flange and webs connecting the flanges, hanger bars secured to the webs and extending close to and down along the post in parallel relation to the axis of the post, an annular connecting member having webs secured to the lower ends of the hanger bars, a thrust bearing between the annular connecting member and the post, a plurality of seat supporting bars having their inner ends secured to the connecting member, an inclined brace for each seat supporting bar, each inclined brace being disposed in the plane of its bar and having one end connected to the peripheral flange of the cap and having its other end fastened to the seat supporting bar adjacent the outer end thereof and elongated seats arranged in end to end relation and angularly With respect to each other and secured to and supported upon the outer ends of the seat supporting bars.

' In witness whereof; I hereto afiix my signature.

HERBERT H. GRUBB. 

